Jakarta:Finance Minister Yassine Jaber met with a delegation from the European Union and representatives of the OECD's SIGMA program to review the progress on an EU-funded initiative aimed at supporting reforms in public budget management.

According to National news agency - Lebanon, the discussions centered on aligning budget allocations with government priorities, consolidating the budgets of ministries with those of their affiliated public institutions, and introducing expenditure ceilings under a medium-term fiscal framework.

The proposed reforms will be initially tested in six ministries, which will receive technical assistance and staff training to facilitate the process. Jaber emphasized the need for a gradual and realistic approach to achieve tangible results within the existing administrative and legal frameworks.

Minister Jaber suggested forming internal working groups within the pilot ministries to coordinate budget requirements and consolidate submissions without the need for legislative amendments. He also highlighted the importance of strengthening revenue forecasting and addressing challenges encountered in earlier collaborations with SIGMA.

The delegation plans to present a draft budget management reform strategy to Minister Jaber in December, which will be discussed to identify measures for its implementation.